Position location for wireless communication systems

• US 9,726,752 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2012
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gaal, Peter, Attar, Rashid Ahmed Akbar, Malladi, Durga Prasad, Montojo, Juan
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mastrodonato, Margaret G
• Application Number:
  US13/672,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20130065610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455424, 455423, 455561, 4555621, 4554521, 455457, 4554221, 455571, 4555751, 455450, 455466, 455447, 455444-446, 455442, 455453, 34235706, 34235708, 34253913
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/876 Combination of several spaced transponders or reflectors of known location for determining the position of a receiver G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/466 by Trilateration, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the distance to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, i.e. the distance between the antennas or sensors, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0063 of measured values, i.e. measurement on base station and position calculation on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0205 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0055 determining timing error of reception due to propagation delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to position location in a wireless communication system, and may more particularly relate to position location for a mobile station.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a discontinuous receive/discontinuous transmit (DRX/DTX) session with a serving cell;

transmitting, from a mobile station, an access probe to one or more non-serving cells during the DRX/DTX session;

receiving, at the mobile station, propagation delay information from at least one of the one or more non-serving cells responsive to the access probe; and

obtaining a position location for the mobile station, the position location being determined based, at least in part, on the propagation delay information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, from the mobile station, the propagation delay information to the serving cell.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the position location for the mobile station comprises receiving, at the mobile station, the position location for the mobile station from the serving cell.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the mobile station, a message from the serving cell to initiate a position location determination.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the access probe is transmitted responsive to the message from the serving cell to initiate the position location determination.

6. A mobile station comprising:

memory;

a receiver;

a transmitter; and

a processor coupled to the receiver, the transmitter and the memory, wherein the processor and memory are configured to;

establish a discontinuous receive/discontinuous transmit (DRX/DTX) session with a serving cell;

initiate transmission, via the transmitter, of an access probe to one or more non-serving cells during the DRX/DTX session;

receive, via the receiver, propagation delay information from at least one of the one or more non-serving cells responsive to the access probe; and

obtain a position location for the mobile station, the position location being determined based, at least in part, on the propagation delay information.

7. The mobile station of claim 6, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:

initiate transmission, via the transmitter, of the propagation delay information to the serving cell; and

obtain, via the receiver, the position location for the mobile station from the serving cell.

8. The mobile station of claim 6, and wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:

obtain, via the receiver, a message from the serving cell to initiate a position location determination; and

initiate transmission, via the transmitter, of the access probe to the one or more non-serving cells in response to the message from the serving cell to initiate the position location determination.

9. An apparatus for use in a mobile station, the apparatus comprising:

means for establishing a discontinuous receive/discontinuous transmit (DRX/DTX) session with a serving cell;

means for transmitting an access probe from the mobile station to one or more non-serving cells during the DRX/DTX session;

means for receiving, at the mobile station, propagation delay information from at least one of the one or more non-serving cells responsive to the access probe; and

means for obtaining a position location for the mobile station, the position location being determined based, at least in part, on the propagation delay information.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, and further comprising:

means for transmitting the propagation delay information from the mobile station to the serving cell; and

means for receiving, at the mobile station, the position location for the mobile station from the serving cell.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, and further comprising:

means for receiving, at the mobile station, a message from the serving cell to initiate a position location determination; and

wherein the means for transmitting an access probe from the mobile station to one or more non-serving cells is response to the message from the serving cell to initiate the position location determination.

12. An article, comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable by a processing circuit of a mobile station to cause the mobile station to;

establish a discontinuous receive/discontinuous transmit (DRX/DTX) session with a serving cell;

transmit an access probe to one or more non-serving cells associated with one or more of the received position location pilot signals during the DRX/DTX session;

receive propagation delay information from at least one of the one or more non- serving cells responsive to the access probe; and

obtain a position location for the mobile station, the position location being determined based, at least in part, on the propagation delay information.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein the machine-readable instructions are further executable by the processing circuit of the mobile station to cause the mobile station to:

transmit the propagation delay information to the serving cell; and

receive the position location for the mobile station from the serving cell.

14. The article of claim 12, wherein the machine-readable instructions are further executable by the processing circuit of the mobile station to cause the mobile station to:

receive a message from the serving cell to initiate a position location determination; and

transmit the access probe to the one or more non-serving cells in response to the message from the serving cell to initiate the position location determination.